Success Stories

My Life as an Early Childhood Professional

By Rebecca Smith, Learning Vision @ Nanyang Polytechnic

My days are rarely normal. Often unpredictable, I may be always prepared but never too ready for what to expect. You can never know what will be uttered by the children. More often than not, the children will surprise and overwhelm you with their responses and reactions. In the words of Herbert Kohl, “One of the beauties of teaching is that there is no limit to one’s personal growth as a teacher, just as there is no knowing beforehand how much your students can learn.”

The day simply starts with smiles, giggles and hugs from walking bottles of excitement. With full knowledge that these individuals act on their learning experiences and draw knowledge, understanding and comprehension of their surroundings making use of all of their senses. Days at the centre are never boring.

With real life specimens or artefacts on various topics for discussion and investigation, my 5-year-olds will explore, observe, question, compare, discuss, relate, identify and work out understandings of their personal discoveries.

The only challenge as a facilitator working with children would be to act as ambassadors of a positive disposition towards learning- Dynamic, with a strong Moral Value and a Passion for Learning. To be able to consistently feed these curious young minds, at the same time providing them with a variety of opportunities for them to acquire new skills which will equip them to be confident individuals who feel a great sense of ownership to their learning experiences.

Creative, strong, confident, passionate, hardworking, enthusiastic (the list goes on) individuals are we who work with children while creating environments safe to facilitate independent thinkers to explore, defeat “failure”, reap successes, nurture a spirit which dares to question and challenge. We too act as cheerleaders, comforter or a simple reassuring smile to children who deep down we recognize as little ones yearning to reap the best of their childhood.

Parents of children are very much a part of our daily experiences too! Just as how important parents are in the eyes of their children, they are not at the slightest bit less insignificant in our eyes too. Working with, interacting and collaborating with parents is a daily event. Just like in any relationship, building trust through communication is a daily affair. We also recognize that parents too need support in certain areas where our professional assistance will help them grow and develop as parents. We often play different roles such as a cheerleader, a reassuring professional advisor or a resource personal, to aid the sacred task of a parent.